


Dysfunctional Disaster

by orphan_account



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Angst, Blood, F/M, Knives, Mabill, Madness, Magic, Manipulation, Mind Manipulation, Obsession, Stalking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2016-01-20
Packaged: 2018-04-06 05:21:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4209492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"How far are you willing to go to see your brother again, Shooting Star?"</p><p>After an accident that puts Dipper in a coma and ultimately trapped in the dreamscape, Mabel finds herself shaking the demons hand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Things Left Unsaid

All this had happened because Mabel had taken her brothers journal again.

“You have to let me see him!” Mabel cried out, trying her best to push passed the nurse who was holding her shoulders, shoving her back into the waiting room while yelling words that she couldn’t make out due to her panicked state, “No! Please!” She was willing to get down on her knees and beg, but before she could even make an attempt, the door was slammed in her face. 

She could feel herself pale, her blood running cold as she pressed her hands against the cool, white door that kept her brother locked away from her gaze, from her need to apologize, to comfort him, to kiss his forehead and assure him that he was going to be alright and that she loved him. He was going to be okay, he has to be okay. She hadn’t realized that tears had been pouring down her face, staining her cheeks and making her eyes puffy, but it wasn’t something unexpected. 

After accepting defeat, she slowly made her way over to one of the chairs, the one closest to the door of the hall her brother was in. Luckily, there weren’t a lot of people in the waiting room at the moment, which brought her some relief. She couldn’t deal with other people right now; they would just make her headache worsen. Pulling up her legs to her chest, she rested back against the dense, uncomfortable cushion, eyes never once moving from the door, even as more tears began to pool within them. She didn’t care how long it would take, she would be here, but after an hour of waiting, against her will she drifted off into la la land. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_“Mabel! Wake up! Did you see where I put my journal last?” Dipper was frantically tearing the room apart in search of that book, but little did he know, he wouldn’t be finding it any time soon. Not unless he went into the forest to look, which she doubted, but even then, it was unlikely. Mabel shifted onto her side, pulling her pink duvet up over her nose, eyes peeling open slowly to catch her brother throwing pillows towards their door._

_“Why would I know that? You’re the only one who touches it.” She was glad that her blanket was pulled above her mouth to hide the smile that was tugging at the corner of her lips, although she was a little bit more ungrateful that she wasn’t able to hide that small, breathy laugh that escaped her. Dipper instantly caught the sound, turning on his heels to look at his twin, frowning, eyebrows furrowing together._

_“You took it!” He leaped for Mabel, jumping on her bed and roughly pulling at the blanket, “Mabel, where did you put it?!” More laughs escaped the female twin, kicking her legs from under the blanket and catching him on the shoulder, making him fall back and off of her bed. Quickly, in panic, Mabel jumped up to look over at the edge at the boy who was fuming on the ground, “You know what, I’m done. I’m done!” Oh, man. He was mad. Like, really, really mad._

_He didn’t hesitate after standing up, stomping towards the door and slamming it after he had found himself in the hall. She was left dumbfounded. She’d messed around with him plenty of times, but she’d never seen him so angry. That’s what siblings did! They annoyed and frustrated each other! He wasn’t supposed to be angry! “Dipper!” She jumped off the bed and headed for the door, calling out for him again after she had yanked the wooden entrance open, rushing down the stairs, catching him just before he had emerged out the front door. “Hey, stop! Seriously, I’m sorry.”_

_“No! No, you always do this. Every time. I just want to have something that you don’t go and ruin!” Her breath caught in her throat at his mean words. She knew he didn’t mean them, that he was just frustrated, but they stung. She huffed, arms crossing over her chest._

_“Well, fine! Since I just ruin everything, maybe you should find someone else to go on adventures with!” For eighteen year olds, they sure were childish. Had someone overheard, they were sure to think they were twelve again. The boy nodded with a huff before turning sharply, exiting the house with another loud ‘SLAM!’ of the door. She was left alone in the mystery shack, an overwhelming feeling of emptiness filling her form. She didn’t know whether to cry, or scream, or maybe a mixture of both._

_A loud sigh was the only sound that echoed in the empty house, the girls hands raking roughly through her unkempt brown locks, eyes closing tightly as she felt a headache come on. It wasn’t every day that the twins would fight, but when they did, it was usually over something stupid, but it never, not once, made her feel anything but guilt and frustration. Slowly, after she had straightened up, she moved towards the couch in the living room, curling up and falling asleep. She was too tired to think, and her headache was making her want to be anywhere, but here._

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_Her eyes flicked open at the sound of the front door closing, her head rolling to the side and back a little to see who had entered, “Dipper?” She called, her voice small, but curious._

_“Nah, it’s me. Where’d squirt get to?” Stan asked as he entered the living room, plopping down a few bags that he had obviously retrieved in town. He was in his usual attire, nothing too fancy, but it looked as if he had recently bathed. Thank God. Another day with that stench and the kids would have been running for the hills. Maybe he had been trying to impress someone. Odd thought, but looking back, he never did shower without a reason._

_“We had a fight. He left all angry and stuff. Where’ve you been? Also, might I say, being clean is a good look for you.” Her words made him laugh, the booming sound echoing through the house, which made her grin._

_“Don’t get used to it, kid. I thought I’d go buy some stuff for the shack, also picked up something for yours and Dippers birthday.” As he spoke, he shoved his hand into one of the bags, rustling around which brought out the curious side of Mabel. She moved to sit on her knees, hands rested on the arm of the couch as she peered over to look at what was inside, but it was quickly snatched away, “Eh! No peeking!” He shoved the bag to the side before going through the other one, not looking at her as he began to speak again, “So, what was the fight about?”_

_Her smile faded to a small frown, eyebrows bunching together, “Grunkle Stan, you think it’s normal for siblings to fight over stupid little things, right?” He nodded his head in response, before she continued, “Well, I hid his journal. I don’t know, I’ve done it before, with other things, and he’s never gotten too mad. We’d play fight, I’d give it back, but this time he yelled at me and told me I ruin everything!” She sighed, resting her chin on her hand as Stan stopped digging through the bags to look over at her._

_“Mabel, that journal means a butt load to him. Why don’t you go get it and apologize? He’ll forgive you. Just, I’d stop messing with it, if I were you, kid. It obviously ain’t no joke to him.” It wasn’t often that Grunkle Stan was serious with stuff like this, he’d usually drop some knowledge then make a joke out of it, but she was grateful that when she needed true advice, he was there to offer it. She nodded before jumping up, only taking a moment to grab her coat before heading off towards the forest._

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_“Dipper. I know you’re mad and all, but I got the journal for you! I’m really sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you. I can make it up to you, we can go to the diner and get some pancakes, and maybe watch some movies after. I can do dishes, too, for the whole week!” She rehearsed her apology over, although she was pretty confident in her speech already. She didn’t usually feel nervous when it came to apologizing, and to be fair, she wasn’t really nervous at the moment, but she hadn’t seen him that mad in a long time, especially over something she’d done. He knew she was goofy and liked to mess around, but she guessed she’d finally crossed the boundaries with taking his journal._

_She let out a small, breath, nearly a sigh as she reached where the journal hid. She kneeled down and pulled it out of the mossy log, brushing her fingers over the top, clearing away the dirt that had coated the cover of his journal, her fingertips dancing over the palm of the six fingered hand on the front before moving to the back. She stood with it in her hands, about to head back towards the shack, before stopping at the sudden vibration in her coat pocket._

_One of her hands moved from her brother’s journal into her pocket, fishing out her device before sliding to unlock lifting it to her ear, “Hello?”_

_“Mabel Pines? There’s been an accident.”_

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Mabel. Mabel, wake up.” She jerked awake to the voice, someone shaking her knee firmly. Grunkle Stan. He was sat beside her, his mouth pulled into a hard line, although there was a hint of sympathy in his eyes, “You were have a nightmare, kid.”

“Oh.” She practically breathed the word out, her head swimming as her legs fell from the chair, the bottoms of her feet rested against the floor as she turned her attention back to the door, “How… long was I asleep? Have you heard anything yet?” 

“I got here about ten minutes ago. You were probably out for an hour or so. As for Dipper, haven’t heard a thing.” He was worried. She could practically feel it radiating off of him, but he refused to show it, refused to show that he was helpless to the situation. She sighed before leaning over to rest her head against his shoulder, her hand moving to take hold of his.

“Tell me he’ll be okay?” She asked, her voice cracking as she fought back the tears that so desperately wanted to spill, her stomach churning. She needed reassurance. She needed her brother.

“He’ll be okay, honey.” He didn’t sound sure, like he always did. His voice was weak, as if he wanted to cry just as badly as she needed to, but she needed to believe him. She needed belief, she needed hope. Her eyes drifted shut, but the only stayed that way for a few moments.

“Pines family?” They both shot up, turning towards the doctor who had emerged from the door she’d been intent on staring at, looking over the clipboard in his hand. He made his way over and stopped just a few feet away from Mabel, his mouth pulling to the side, “Hm. Alright. So, none of you were present when the incident occurred, yes?” they both responded with a nod, and he made a hum of his understanding before continuing, “Alright, well, he was hit by a truck, which seemed to have been speeding. His left wrist is broken, as well as a few of his ribs. Collarbone is fractured, but our main concern was his noggin. He has a serious head injury. Skull has a fracture, which caused bleeding in the brain.” He stopped for a moment as he dropped his clipboard to his side, looking at the two pines, which were desperate for an explanation. 

“How is he now? What’s going on?” Mabel cried out, shaking beyond belief as she waited for answers. 

“He’s in a coma. We seem to have gotten his brain to stop bleeding, though. But, currently, there’s no more I can say on the matter. We’ll just have to see how he fairs, and if and when he wakes up.” 

Mabel was overwhelmed with feeling. She wanted to throw up. She wanted to pass out. She wanted to scream and cry, to punch something, but instead of doing that, she simply stood there, completely numb. Tears didn’t even threaten her at the moment, she was just…there, completely frozen. 

“I’m sorry.” The doctor told the pines, who failed to respond, “His room is 208. You’ll be able to see him in about an hour, if you’d like to make your way up there.” The doctor spoke before nodding his head once more, then heading off through the door he’d entered before, leaving the Pines family, minus one, to their thoughts. 

“Kid, I… Do you need anything?” She heard her Grunkle say, but she didn’t respond, simply shaking her head, before turning away to walk towards Dippers room. She was silent, her mind wandering like mad, not letting her have a moment to simply breath. Breath. She breathed out, not noticing she’d been holding it in the entire time the doctor had been speaking, a gasp escaping her, and then everything else did. She fell to her knees as sobs wacked her body, her hands moving to cover her face as her tears fell freely, small noises passing her lips as emotions fled her body. She wanted to die. 

“Hey, hey.” Stan mumbled as he kneeled besides her, pulling her into a tight embrace, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, “He hasn’t lost yet. He’s a fighter, Mabel.” He comforted her, trying to pull her to her feet, arms still wrapped tightly around her as he led her down the hall, although she continued to sob, crying aloud for everyone around them to hear, wanting to scream from the mountain tops, for every single person in gravity falls to know her pain. She just wanted to scream. 

Finally, they reached 208. By the time they got there, Mabel had settled down a little, her sobs reduced to a simple sniffle, her eyes red and swollen, but she couldn’t care less what she looked like. All she cared about was Dipper. Dipper. Oh, God, she was going to start bawling again. A choke cry escaped her, but she clamped her hand over her mouth, refusing to cry anymore for the moment, just focusing on seeing her brother. She just needed to see him, to know that everything was going to be alright. 

It took forever, but they were finally allowed entrance. On the inside, she wanted to rip herself from the ground and rush in, but her legs were so weak, she could hardly get inside the room without the support of Stan, who was holding her arms, guiding her.

After all that waiting, there he was. Laying on the white hospital bed, her brother. He had two blacks eye, several scrapes and scratches along his cheeks and neck, his head wrapped tightly in bandages, his hair not even visible. The white cotton blanket was pulled up to his chest, the blue cloth of the hospital gown showing through, and another white bandage along the left side of his collarbone. He was so pale in contrast to red lines along his features. He looked so at peace, like he was gone, but the loud beeping of the machines he was connected to made it apparent that he wasn’t, not yet, anyway. 

Her movements were slow as she moved to stand beside him, her fingers brushing his cheek gently as a small sigh escaped her lips. She simply stared for the longest time before leaning forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead, careful to avoid any boo-boos. She lingered a moment before straightening up, letting out strong breathes as she attempted to calm herself, watching the machines, watching his heart rate. He was here, he was alive. It was going to be okay. He was so strong. This wasn’t how their story was meant to end, it couldn’t end here. 

She hadn’t realized how long she had been standing there until a nurse entered the room, telling them that only one visitor was allowed to stay the night. Grunkle Stan insisted on Mabel staying for the first night, before kissing both the twins on the forehead, wishing them both a goodnight and starting his journey back to the mystery shack. 

She finally decided that it was alright to get some sleep. She was here, he was here, and she’d know the second if anything went downhill. She set up a small bed of blankets on the floor before getting comfortable. She had thought sleep would be impossible, but from all the crying and emotional stress she’d been put through, she fell asleep with moments, clutching dippers journal to her chest as she faded off.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

She made a small sound as she awoke, her eyes fluttering open as she moved to examine her surrounding, breathing in a few times before sitting up. The drapes were closed, the entire room dark, greyness everywhere around her. It was eerie, almost like she was still…. Dreaming. Slowly, the girl pulled herself up from her make-shift bed, walking over to the curtains and throwing them open, but then her worst fear came to light; the greyness didn’t disappear. 

Without hesitation, she turned on her heels, a man sitting on the edge of Dippers bed, brushing his finger tips against the boys cheek, before turning to her with a sly smile, “Don’t you look awful, shooting Star.”

Bill. No. If she didn’t feel terrible before, she sure as hell did now. He wasn’t a triangle, he was… human. Or, in a human form, at least. He was wearing a yellow dress coat, a white shirt tucked away underneath, and black dress pants, black shoes, which were currently tapping against the ground, his bow tie still in place. Definitely was something she’d imagined he’d wear. Elegant, but still utterly Bill. His hair was blonde, falling messily onto his face, and he even had two eyes! Although one was distorted, grey, but there were cracks, even along the whites of his eye, the other was bright blue. He was very interesting to look at, but then she realized she’d been looking too long, a sharp gasp escaping her lips before he spoke up again, “Not a triangle, that’s right. I do recall you insulting that form, so I decided to try out another one!” He jumped off the bed, and Mabel fell back against the window, breathing hard. 

“Since when do you try to please me?” She asked, her voice just above a whisper, uncertain of the situation at hand, but she figured it couldn’t hurt to converse. 

“The thing is, I don’t! I could hardly care what you think, but I do like change, and I figured this was something to be tested out.” He took a small step towards her, his smile growing into a wolfish grin as she flinched, loving how afraid she was. He considering trying to frighten her more, but there were other things he had to deal with, and he decided to just jump straight to the point, “Oh, sorry about your brother, by the way. Such a shame. Never would have imagined he’d go like that.” He was trying to get a reaction, and boy, he sure did get the one he wanted.

“He’s not gone! He’s very much alive, so just leave him alone! Just go away and everything and everyone will be fine!” She cried out, moving to try to get to her brother, but Bill wasn’t going to stand for that. Grabbing her wrist, he yanked her back, causing her to fall against him.

“It’s funny that you say that, because if it weren’t for me, he’d already be dead.” He hissed, although he was still grinning, moving to grab her chin to force her to look up at him as he leered over. She grabbed his wrist, trying to get away, but he simply tightened his grip, making her squeal in pain, until she finally settled down, accepting the position for the time being.

Breathing hard, she started to speak, “What do you mean? What did you do?” He could hardly believe she managed to get the sentences out by how hard she was breathing. 

“You see…” He moved quickly and shoved her against the wall, making sure she wouldn’t run for the brother again as he continued, “The second his head made contact with that car, he was as good as dead. But, I, being the amazingly kind being that I am, managed to yank him into the dream realm, because his mind was so weak!” He could see the wheels turning in Mabel’s mind as she processed his words.

“You… saved him? Why?” She bit out the last bit in anger, although their was a hint of something else, gratitude, stirring within her. He’d saved Dipper? Why? Dread filled her suddenly. He wanted something. This was a ransom.

“Because I’m such a sw—“

“Cut the crap, and tell me what you want.” She was blinking back tears, fear worming its way through her, making her feel sick. 

“My, my, I can’t just do nice things?” He questioned, to which she replied with a shake of the head, a laugh erupting from his throat, “You’re right, I don’t do that. You see… What I want, Shooting Star…” His voice faded off as his grin faded to a small uplift of the corner of his lips, barely even a smile, “…Is your life for his.”

“What?” She cried out in disbelief, eyebrows furrowing together tightly in confusion as she tried to understand what was happening at this moment, what he wanted from her.

“Oh, come on, I’ve practically spelled it out for you! I’ve seen other demons with their humans, their playthings, and I decided I want one. I’d take Pine Tree, but I can already see the fight he’d put up, and besides, I’ve already got you on the ropes. I’ll tell you to do stuff, and you’ll do it! And, every time you’ve made me happy, I’ll let you see your brother in this lovely little dream realm, but I will warn you, trying to go off and find him, will not end well in your favour, Shooting Star. Oh, another little fun fact for you: If you don’t please me, he’ll be the one getting the backlash. Got it? He’ll wake up, eventually, when I think you’ve done me enough use.”

She wanted to scream, her hand covering her mouth as she fought back that sobs that wanted to so badly to be released, her eyes blinking back the tears that welled. Be his plaything… so she could see Dipper again? How long would it be before he woke up? What did this entail? She dropped her hand, sucking in a painful breath, “What does… what does this entail? How long until he wakes up? What do you want from me?”

“Guess you’ll see! I’m not one for spoilers.” Suddenly, his hand was stretched in front of her, blue flames nearly tickling her nose. She watched carefully, breathing lightly, trying not to freak out before she lifted her gaze to examine Bills expression.

“Are you going to take me away from here?” She needed to know, even though she dreaded the answer.

“You’ll still continue living with your family, however by making this deal, you’re mine. I can pull your from the real world into my world at any moment, understood?” She nodded her head, some relief filling her form. 

Trade her life. For Dipper. He’d try to save her, to look for a loophole; maybe he’d find it. She had to believe in him. So, without any more hesitation, she moved her hand slowly to rest against his, the shake finalizing her fate, “Deal.” An eruption of laughter filled her surroundings. 

Then she was awake, shooting up from her lying position on the pile of blankets, scrambling to her feet before making her way to her brother, breathing hard as she looked him over, brushing her finger tips along his cheek, “Dipper, I’m sorry. I hope you can hear me, but I am sorry. This is my fault.” She needed him to hear her, needed him to know that she was sorry for him laying in this hospital bed, for currently suffering in Bills realm, “I’m sorry.”


	2. The Game's Beginning

Mabel jumped slightly at the sound of the door slamming shut from behind her, nearly falling over herself as she spun around on the balls of her feet only to find her great uncle making his way over to the twins, dropping a bag down at the end of Dippers bed with a small huff. How long had she been standing there? Last she checked, it’d been four in the morning, and visiting hours didn’t start until ten. She’d definitely just been staring idly at her brother for six hours, which of course, wasn’t creepy at all, but under the circumstances, justifiable.

She was exhausted, a loud yawn escaping past her lips. Although she knew Bill could drag her out of her current state at any time he saw fit, she still dreaded the thought of sleep, of just putting herself in the position to come face to face with the demon. Just the memory of last night made her want to hurl, to flat out jump through a window, but she had to remember that she was doing this for Dipper. He was suffering, alone, stuck in his own mind with no one, besides Bill, and she had a very strong feeling he wasn’t going to make it to easy on her twin. Even just knowing she’d see him again because of her deal with the demon was enough to make her know she’d made the right decision, that nothing Bill put her through could take away the smile she’d give when she saw Dipper again. Even in the end, Bill _had_ said he’d wake up, she’d just have to prove that she useful.

“Brought you some snacks. Figured you must be starved by this point. Also, some fresh clothes and stuff.” Stan was shuffling through the bag, as he had been the previous day before she’d set off back into the woods, but he didn’t look as good as he had then. Not to say he was looking gross or anything along those lines, but there were heavy bags under his eyes, indicating the lack of sleep. If she had to guess, he’d probably been up watching television, trying to occupy himself from reality, unable to let himself sleep in case something happened. His usual smile had long faded, as well.

She thought about telling him about the deal, that Bill had saved him and that he was currently holding him hostage, but she figured that’d just put more of strain on the old man, “Oh, what kinda food?” She asked as she leaned over to peak inside the bag as Stan fished around inside it.

“Fruits. Apples, pears, and some other junk. Few turkey sandwiches. Brought you some candy, too.” He pulled out a few chocolate bars and shoved them towards her, and she took them happily, setting a few down on the bed before opening the wrapper of a snickers bar.

“Thank you.” She responded with a mouth full of the chocolate bar, devouring it quickly before opening another, and then another, but before she could get to the last one, Stan yanked it away.

“Enough candy, you’ll be going crazy soon enough if you keep that up.” She pouted a little before nodding, making her way over and plopping down on her bed of blankets, pulling one of them over her shoulders as she focused her gaze on Stan, who was still digging through the bag. She was glad he’d shown up. She probably would have forgotten to eat at all that day had he not been there, but at the same time, it almost felt like she was more alone than when it was just the twins. There was something about his presence that made it seem like he was a million miles away, and it made her heart ache.

With a sigh, the man finally pulled away from the bag, slipping his hand between the handle to move it to the table, which was a few feet from the bed, before taking a seat on the edge where the bag had been, head bowed, his hands holding onto his knees, “You know, Mabel, I know I don’t say it as often as I should, but I love you, guys. You mean the world to me.”

She couldn’t help the way her eyebrows raised, mouth parting slightly as she took in his words. She knew, of course she knew he loved them, but he’d never said it so matter-a-factly. It caught her off guard, but after a moment, she slowly pulled herself off the ground, tugging along her blanket as she made her way over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pressed a kiss to his check, “We love you, too, Grunkle Stan.”

He smiled lightly at her before rubbing at his eyes, nodding a few times, “Well, do you need anything else? I should probably get back. Gotta open the shack, y’know. Keep me updated?” She nodded quickly, taking a few steps back so he could stand, “Alright, kiddo. I’ll probably be back in few hours. Wouldn’t want squirt there to think he got rid of me.” She cracked a smile before nodding again.

He waved, and she waved, and then he was gone. The warmth in the room left suddenly, leaving with her the realization that she was now alone with her brother once more. She turned from the door to look towards him, moving to take a seat next to him on the bed, sighing, as she looked him over. _You’ll be okay._

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A laugh erupted from the demons throat as he sat upon his throne, watching the girl hug the man from his dreamscape with curious eyes. Humans were broken so easily, it was hilarious! It wasn’t like the boy was dead, but it looked they were already losing hope. Well, the old man at least. Bill knew that Mabel was aware of what needed to be done to see her brother again. She knew that with a flick of his wrist, he could be gone forever. Just the thought of the power he held over her made a delicious shiver run down his spine.

Maybe he’d pay her a visit now that the old man was gone, but he decided to just wait a little bit longer. He had a plan, anyway. The demon was very excited to test her willingness to protect her twin; it brought a smile to his lips.

Bill was tempted to continue his spying, but was rudely interrupted as he heard a groan from behind his seat, turning slightly to glance towards the meat sack who was now sitting on his knees, rubbing at his temples, “Aw, Pine Tree, didja hit your head?” Bill purred, and earned a scowl from the boy.

“What did you do?” He heard the boy utter as he turned back to look towards where he had been watching the other Pines twin, fully aware that the scene was unavailable to the humans eyes.

“How about you tell me what you think I did, and I’ll tell you if you’re right or wrong!” He called from his seat, moving to kick his legs over the arm of his throne, arms moving to rest behind his head, awaiting Dippers response.

Dipper was quiet for a long moment before decided to indulge the demon, knowing he wouldn’t get an answers unless he played the game, “Kidnapped me. Tricked me into selling my soul. Forced me into slavery! I don’t know, give me a hint!” A chuckle rang through the emptiness around the two.

“Hilarious! Man, you’re some sort of entertainment that never gets old. Wrong, wrong, and once again, wrong. How about we make a deal? I’ll tell you what happened, and you’ll let me ruffle you hair.” He moved in his seat, turning completely so he was on his knees, his head poking up over the back of his golden seat.

It was obvious he was confused, but after nearly ten minutes, he nodded, “Fine.” He breathed out, trying to be as casual as possible. He had to admit, he was hoping the boy would be a little bit more afraid that he was in his realm, but he appeared un-phased, like this was an everyday thing, which brought annoyance to the demons form.

“Shake on it?” His arm snacked out around the side and Dipper moved to take his hand, firmly pulling up and down before taking a small step back before the flames started, arm dropping to the side, “Great! Man, you sure as swell. Always ready to make a deal. Love open minded people. Anyway, I saved your life. You got hit by a truck, but me being the guy I am, pulled you into the dream world at the last second. Your bodies pretty wreck, though. Yeesh.”

“What?” He wasn’t processing the demons words, even as he fell back slightly, “What?” He repeated.

Suddenly, Bill jumped up, standing on his seat as he leaned forward, “YOU. DIPPER PINES. GOT. HIT. BY A. T-R-U-C-K.” Bill spelled it out before grinning, moving to jump again, but before he landed, he had floated off, leaning back, ankles crossing, hands intertwining as they rested behind his neck, staring towards the non-existent ceiling, but he was low enough that the kid could still see his face.

“You… saved me? What? Why would… What do you want, then? You don’t do stuff like that for nothing.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I already got what I wanted.” His attention was directed towards his side, where the boy was standing. Geez, his thoughts were practically conveyed through his facial expressions, his mouth pulled into a hard line, eyebrows furrowed together.

“What did you get?” He asked hesitantly, but Bill quickly flung his hand to the side to silence him, grinning ear-to-ear.

“Guess you’ll find out.” The demon chimed, to which Dipper was about to protest, needing to know the answer, but Bill was suddenly on his feet in front of the boy, shaking his hand through the kids hair, “Pleasure doing business with ya, but unfortunately, you should probably get going. I have places to destroy, and people to ruin.” And with just a snap of his fingers, the boy was gone.

He had sent him to a little room in the dreamscape, one he’d made just for Pine Tree! It looked like a room you’d find in a mental institute. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“… And, Grunkle Stan even said he’d take us for a nice birthday dinner when you wake up! You get to pick, obviously, although I’m sure you’ll insist on making me pick and we’ll have this little sibling bicker about having the other choose, and then we’ll both agree on ‘Round Town’ because that’s our favourite restaurant.” She finally finished her long discussion, even though she aware of the silence on Dippers end, which made her heart ache, but it was helping to feel sane, to just… talk, to make herself believe that by doing this, they were still together.

She glanced down at her hands, which were holding onto his for dear life, his flesh underneath her fingertips turning red with pressure. She sighed before releasing her holding, moving to stand up from her kneeling position beside his bed as her fingers raked through her messy brown curls. She didn’t even remember the last time she’d brushed her hair, let alone washed it. It was disgusting, but she didn’t care. It was fine, it didn’t bother her all that much.

Slowly, she began to pace around the room, clicking her tongue with each step, trying to keep herself occupied, to keep from crying again. God, everything hurt, and then suddenly, it didn’t, just as her body hit the ground.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Slowly, the girl blinked her eyes open, gazing around the greyness that filled her surroundings, the ice-cold air that filled her lungs. The girl shivered before she slowly sat up, quickly noticing her new attire. She was clad in a silk black shirt, which had what appeared to be a little bow tie attached to the collar and poofy sleeves that locked together around her wrists. Slowly, her gaze trailed lower to the black dress skirt, which had triangle shapes sewn into the bottom, and black pantyhose underneath leading down to the mary-janes on her feet. It was odd to see herself in clothing that had zero colour, but she didn’t mind too much as she stood up, brushing her clothes of any dirt that might had gathered, inspecting the room she stood in. It was the hospital room, but Dipper was no longer there. Confusion filled her as she turned on the spot, trying to understand why Bill had forced her here, until suddenly, there was a voice at her ear: “Ready to start?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a tad boring, but I promise, things are going to get interesting real fast. I'm going out of town, so updates may not be frequent. Thanks for reading!


	3. I'm Seeing Red

Mabel spun on her tippy toes to seek the body the voice had came, but she was only met with the same grey scenery, the disembodied voice keeping silent as she glanced around, almost in panic, before spinning back again, only this time, it was different. She wasn’t in Dippers room anymore, but a hallway. Had she been done this one? It belonged in the hospital, no doubt, but there was something that made it feel foreign, and then it hit here. This was the hall they had dragged Dipper down, the one she’d waited outside for hours before being redirected to the room he resided in currently. Well, his body at least. 

Her gaze shifted around to all the doors that littered the hallway, all shut, except one. The furthest one at the very end of the hallway. Slowly, she pulled her feet along, her shoes clicking against the ground with each step as she went forth to investigate, her fingertips brushing the wall as she began to feel lightheaded, the air in the hallway feeling thicker, making it hard for her to breath, although it may have just been her mind toying around due to the amount of nerves and anxiety rushing through her.

“Hello?” Mabel called out, but her voice was strained, making it come out more quiet than she intended, “Bill?” Her throat was getting dry as she approached, until finally the room was in arms reach. Hesitantly, she moved her hand in the doorway, swinging it around a moment before deciding that should something move to grab her, or generally frighten her, it already would have done so.

The room wasn’t grey like she’d expected. It was completely white; white wall, white tile flooring, white cabinets and white sheets. It almost hurt her eyes; the only thing that wasn’t white was the metal operation table. She blinked a few times before letting out a shriek. There was a body on the table. There hadn’t been one a moment ago? “Bill, this isn’t funny.” She warned, feeling vile at the sight of what she believed to be a dead body. She began to hyperventilate as she blinked again; suddenly the colour red was staining everything, especially the body. She wanted to run and scream, but all she could manage were short breaths and the will to stumble back a little in an attempt to get to the door, however she was met with resistance.

She attempted to jump around at the person she’d pressed against, but a set of hands shot out, one moving for her shoulder, one moving to her waist, holding her in place before there was a voice again: “He’s not dead, however he will be momentarily. You’re going to go and set his fate.”

She was going to throw up, or pass out, or both. Her head was spinning, her mouth gone dry at the thought of killing someone, even if it was a dream. He was testing her, he wanted to know that she’d do whatever it takes to make sure Dipper wakes up, and she had been so certain in her abilities, but this… “Bill, please… this isn’t funny, you know it isn’t. I’m not going to hurt anyone.” She pleaded, “I can’t kill, please. You have to understand that. I’ll do anything, anything, but this, please.”

“You’re so whiny, kid. All it is a flick of the wrist, and BAM! You’re one step closer to seeing your brother again, but, hey I mean, I’m sure he’ll understand, right?” His response didn’t surprise her, but it did take part in making her feel a thousand times worse. His hand slipped from her shoulder and fell to her wrist, lifting it up for both to see before engulfing both their hands in blue flames. It didn’t hurt, but she jumped with a gasp at the sight, until settling down at the feeling of the new object in her grasp. It was a silver blade, with a black handle, some blue rope messily tied around below her fingertips. The blade itself was crooked slightly; although she figured Bill had designed it that way to inflict more pain on the person it was buried in. ‘Cipher’ was craved into the silver.

Her gaze hesitantly swept along the weapon before she starting shaking her head, releasing her grip as her eyes closed. However, when she didn’t hear it hit the ground, her eyes snapped open and she turned to look at the demon better, who was twirling the knife between his fingers, “You know, Shooting Star, I thought you’d try harder. If it helps the case at all, this isn’t real. It’s just a dream. He’s not really there, and all you gotta do is shove a knife into his rib cage and voila! One step closer to seeing your brother. ” She furrowed her eyebrows together before she turned slightly to look over at the man, who was rested on the operation table, doused in blood. The girl cleared her throat, before she let out a sharp gasp at the feeling of the demon forcing the knife into her hand and closing her fingers around it, before giving her a hard shove in the direction of the examination table. It took her a moment to regain her footing, shooting Bill a glare before turning her attention back to the body, inhaling and exhaling as slow as possible. With small movements, she made her way towards the man, feeling Bills presence right behind her with each movement. This was a dream. This was a dream. She knew that, but how long would it be before Bill got her to kill someone in the real world? She stopped a few feet short at the thought, trying to keep the sickness in her from rising as she tried to think, to properly get a grasp on what this would eventually become.

Mabel tossed the blade between her two hands as her teeth bit into her lower lip, contemplating. This was a mistake. There was two ways this would go down; He’d either break the deal or force her to continue on. She couldn’t escape either way, she’d set her fate the send she shook his hand. He wanted proof of how much Dipper meant to her, proof of how far she was willing to go and this was only the first test. Finally, she decided.

She lifted the blade up, jumping from one foot to the other. Murder. Murder. This was murder, this was wrong. Hell, Bill might even be lying. When does he tell the truth? He may as well be lying about everything. Maybe Dipper wasn’t even really in the dreamscape, maybe Bill wasn’t even going to allow him to wake up, and even if he does, that could be just short of someone pulling the plug on the machine that was keeping his body alive. She stared down at the man, wanting so badly to prove to Bill that she would do whatever it took to keep Dipper safe, but… she couldn’t. She let out a cry as the knife fell to her feet, the noise echoing around the room as she moved to cover her mouth with her hand as tears started, wanting so badly to just run away and hide. She wanted Dipper, she wanted him to hug her and tell her that she did the right thing, but she failed. She couldn’t even do the first thing Bill had wanted.

“Seriously?” The demon growled, “Honestly, this is probably the easiest thing to do. I practically handed you the chance to see dipshit again! But, bad news, Shooting Star, I’m not going to tell you to do it, anymore. I’m going to make you.” And, with that, he flicked his wrist, and suddenly, Mabel was on her back with the ‘dead’ man straddling her waist.

She barely had time to think before his mans hands were wrapped around her throat, choking the life from her body. She cried out, struggling against his grip, trying with weak hands to pull the mans hands from her neck, fighting hard to kick her legs from underneath where he sat. Barely through the corners of her eyes, she could make out Bill, who had his arms crossed over his chest, cane hanging from his wrist, simply observing, “Bill.” She could hardly make out his name, throwing her hand to the side, reaching for the demon who made no attempt to move for several moments before kicking the blade towards where her hand rested.

That son of a bitch. Tears welled and she let out a scream as her fingers wrapped around the handle, moving to strike it against the mans throat, and suddenly, there was air. Her hand wrapped around her own throat as she tried to bring all the air she could get back into her lungs, scooting back from the man who was clawing at the knife in his neck, obviously in pain and afraid. Bill walked towards him and ripped the knife from his neck with a smile, cleaning the blood on his pant leg before suddenly, throwing it into the air. There was a flash of blue, and then it was gone. The man applied pressure to his wound, but blood was seeping through his fingers, dripping to the floor and covering the white gown he wore. With a loud thump, he fell back against the ground, twitching uncontrollably, paling as the blood made a puddle around his body. Mabel watched in horror at what she’d done, her hand covering her mouth in horror, hardly even feeling as the bastard demon had come up behind her wrecked form on the ground, arms wrapping around her waist to hoist her up to her feet, “I honestly thought you were going to die.” He gave a laugh, but Mabel was having none of that.

She twirled around and her hand met with his face, the blood that had coated her fingers smearing along his jaw. Mabel fell back a little with a loud huff, “You sick man.” She hissed through her teeth as she rubbed at her skirt harshly, trying to remove the stain of red on her fingertips. Bill let out another laugh as his fingers grazed the spot of impact, picking up some of the blood in the process, examining it a moment before brushing it against lips. Mabel gave a look of disgust at the act, shaking her head a few times, “Bitter.” The demon groaned before moving to grab the girl, and suddenly, they were in the hospital room again.  “Well, you’re stubborn as fuck, but I think you passed.” The demons hands clapped together once he released his hold on her arm.

“You forced me to murder someone.” She said matter-a-factly, a shudder running through her body as her arms wrapped around her small form, watching him carefully for any movements, but all he did was crack a smile.

“I didn’t force you, I just gave you some incentive.” He replied smugly, looking rather proud of himself for his efforts, “Besides, it wasn’t even real.”

“You bastard! No matter how you put it, you made me put a knife in someone! God, just let me wake up now! I don’t want to be here with you anymore, I don’t want to be with you ever, you evil, stupid triangle.”

His smile almost instantly faded at her words, and was replaced with rage, “Do you not remember the deal, kid? You agreed. You do what I say, and I’ll let you see your brother. If you didn’t think something like this would come along, you’re more stupid than anything I thought possible, and that was only the beginning! Now smarten the fuck up, and get ready for hell.” And, with that, he lifted his hand and made the shape of a gun with his hand, pointing it towards her, “Pow.” He breathed, and then she was awake.

She was on the floor next to Dippers bed, a headache ringing. She let out a small groan as she pulled herself into a sitting position, rubbing at the sore spot at the back of her head. She probably hit here head when Bill had knocked her out.

After a few moments of realizing she was awake, and that the demon was no long present, she fixed her composure, pulling on the edge of the bed to help herself stand up on wobbly legs. At least she was in her own clothes again, which was something small, but it made her feeling a lot better.

The girl rubbed at her eyes before turning her attention to Dipper, who was still laid motionless on the hospital bed. She brushed her fingertips along his cheek, letting out a rough sigh as she leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead, “Sleep well, bro-bro.”

  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Shooting Star was frustrating, but he knew she’d be useful, whether or not she wanted to be. It didn’t take long for Bill to discard whatever bloodied up stuff he had, the body easily erased from the dreamscape. He had taken to watching Mabel after that, to see her reaction, but all she was did was stare at the wall after wishing her brother a good night. With a groan, he pulled himself from his throne and began his journey towards where Pine Tree hid away.

The halls were bending, and unending, but it didn’t take long for the demon to navigate him to the boy’s room. With easy fingers, he snapped and the door pulled out with a loud creaking noise. Light flooded the dark room and it was easy for the demon to spot the boy, who was curled up in a fetal position in the corner of the cushioned room. It was obvious he’d been crying, but the second he’d noticed the open door, he straightened up, glaring in the direction of the one eyed demon, “Hey, got good news for you, kiddo.” Bill hummed as he entered the room, snapping his fingers again and wrapping Dipper in a straightjacket, which he protested loudly, fumbling around.

“God dammit, this isn’t funny.” Dipper growled, which just made Bill grin.

“Of course it’s not, however, you trying to get out of that thing is pretty fucking hilarious. Good luck to the non-magical kid stuck in the dream realm. Anyway, wanna hear the good news or not, dipstick?” Dipper took note of Bills enthusiasm, knowing that it was never a good sign. He thought to just ignore him, but he had to admit, his curiosity got the better of him.

“What?” He huffed.

“Since your sister has been so nice and everything in regards to the situation, I have decided that you may get to see her pretty soon. Maybe.”

Dipper arched an eyebrow in question, his mouth pulling into a hard line before he spoke up, “Mabel knows I’m here?”

“Yep! Oh, didn’t I mention? She’s the one who made a deal with me to keep you safe. “

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom. It's been a while, but I'm back, baby! Let's get down to business.


	4. Fire Within

She made a deal with him? Dipper could feel himself paling, his heart nearly stopping. This is what he’d been talking about, why he’d saved him. Mabel. “What did she give you?!” He cried out, making a sore attempt to lunge at the demon, who in turn just snapped once more. Blue chains, hissing with electricity, wrapped around his whole body, his neck even and pulled him back roughly until he was laying on his back. The struggle didn’t stop, but that just made Bills excitement grow. 

“Where would the fun be in telling you? How about we play a game! I’ll give you three tries, and if you get it right, I’ll let you out of that—“ He motioned towards the straight jacket before jumping forward and landing on the end of the bed, crossing his legs over as he took a seat, hands resting on his knees, “But, if you’re wrong! Well, I’ll light you on fire.”

“Why would I play anything with you? All you know how to do is lie and cheat, you pompous, equilateral asshole!” The boy hissed out, finally stopping his attempts on the chains. It was useless, and he knew it. 

“You know, Pine Tree. Words hurt, but do you know what hurts worse than being called names?” He questioned, arching an eyebrow with a sly smile, which drew fear across Dippers face, only for the slightest of seconds, “Being set on fire.”

The boy thought to respond, but settled for silence, focusing his gaze on the door. It was chained up and a large triangular lock hung just above the ground. How un-necessary, but he figured it was for a humorous effect, just something else to irk the boy to insanity. Although he refused to look back at the demon, he could see from the corner of his eyes that he was grinning, waiting. He’d be waiting a while— Well, at least he’d thought so, but the demons patience had obviously run dry, however his spirit was still lifted, “Shooting Star loves guessing games.”

“Fine!” He tried to sit up once again in another useless attempt, “Get rid of these stupid chains and I’ll play your games.”

Snap. It was done, the chains fading into nothing, but dust, coating the bed and the boy’s clothes. Dipper wasted no time in sitting up and pushing himself roughly against the wall, knees pulled to his chest. To some it might come off as fear, but it was clear to the demon, it was dislike, “Three guesses.”

“The journal. You want the journal.” He was certain that’s what it was, but judging by the look that rested on Bills face, he was wrong. How could he have been wrong?! There wasn’t anything that interested the stupid demon other than the journal. 

“Two more.” He was starting to panic, there wasn’t a lot more than that. The journal… What else? What else? Think, think. 

“It has to be the journal, or something like that! Mabel has nothing of interest to you, unless you wanted some sweater!” He bit out in frustration, tugging on the restraints of the straight jacket. Maybe it was the stress of the situation, but he was finding it hard to think, to breath. 

“One more guess.”

It took Dipper a moment to process what he’d just said, confusion crossing his features before anger took hold, “That wasn’t a guess and you know it!” He yelled out, moving to get off the bed, but he was stopped by the demons action, his hand moving slightly and encasing itself in blue flames. He was serious, his expression showing nothing else, but the deadliness of his punishment if he pushed him further.

“One. More. Guess.”

There had to be something. He pinched his eyes closed as he went back to every encounter, trying to re-think everything, trace every step. Mabel and Bill hadn’t interacted all that much his knowledge, besides at the puppet show. Did he mean to possess her? He had no reason to, but maybe it wasn’t about possession, maybe it was ownership. He’d read plenty of times that demons, especially those unable to conduct work in the human world, would claim those who could to do their bidding. He opened his eyes as realization dawned on him, “A life for a life.” He whispered. 

His worries were confirmed by the flames fading away, the demons serious expression melting away to be replaced by a grin, “Man, I thought you’d lost your touch for a second there.”

“Let her go, please. Why didn’t you just make a deal with me? You had no reason to drag her into this!” He cried out, starting to struggle again, however this time, it wasn’t met with resistance. There was a snap and he was free, his arms sore and cramped up. He rubbed at them idly as he watched Bill with a glare, needing an answer. Needing to understand.

“My, my, Pine Tree. You almost sound jealous!” His laughed echoed, but the sound didn’t bother Dipper anymore. Whether it would cause of a flinch or a scowl, it wasn’t there. He feared nothing Bill could offer anymore. Finally, he settled down, slightly annoyed the boy didn’t bother with a response, “Someone’s pissy. You see, sweet, little Pine Tree, I can get so much more out of your sister. You on the other hand, if we’d made the deal, well, you’d complain and defy me at every turn. You’d constantly try to control the situation, where as with your sister…” He paused a moment before continuing, “…It’s just so easy to get what I want, because she doesn’t know what position you’re in! All she knows is that you’re trapped here. She’s very desperate to make sure you’re safe, which is EVER BETTER! I’m sure she’d slaughter a whole town just to make sure those big ole’ brown eyes of yours pop open, y’know.”

He didn’t even know what to say anymore, his eyes showing defeat as he looked on, exhausted beyond belief, with everything. He shook his head a few times, “She would never kill for me, she knows I would never want her to.” His voice was barely a whisper, but he was sure the demon caught it. 

“Oh, Dipper Pines.” He replied, his voice oddly soft as he climbed off the bed, adjusting his bowtie for a brief moment, before offering a smile, “She already has.”

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The boy was right; he did have a knack for lying. Well, to be fair, it wasn’t necessarily a lie, but rather just a very big exaggeration of the truth. And, she would eventually give in and do it, to a real person. Oh, he was excited for that day. The day when he’d finally win. He’d corrupt the girl, poison her and break the family from within. He cracked his knuckles, resting back in his throne, watching. 

Gravity falls was sleeping, the dimmest of lights washing over the town. If one didn’t know it existed, they could so easily miss it, but the demon knew better than to underestimate what crawled through the sewers, what whistled through the trees. There was something in this town, much more than even the Pines family. The lightest of magic, but also the darkest. Horrifying creatures, fairies, and secrets. 

He never missed anything when it came to watching the town, each person on his raider, nothing too far from his gaze. However, a certain Pines girl was nowhere to be found. He tensed slightly when his attention was brought to the hospital room, which only held one twin, the basically-dead-but-not-technically-declared one. She had no reason to wander off, other than to avoid the demon, but she was smarter than that, to think she could run. 

After he’d calmed, it only took a moment to locate the girl. Coffee shop on main, somewhere he knew she didn’t visit often. Solemn creature she was. Seated at booth beside the window, her eyes closed and forehead rested against the glass. Coffee in hand, although it had run cold, a sip barely taken from it. Anyone with half a mind could tell just how exhausted and miserable she was, but within himself, he knew she was not broken. She wouldn’t give in to that, but he would demand it. 

Snap. He did also have a knack for making the situation worse. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

The coffee shop was quiet; the only noise was the sound of a clock ticking and the muffled sound of someone sweeping from in the back room. Why she’d bothered to get a coffee, she has no clue. She had taken a sip and recalled every other moment she had, which usually ended up with her spitting it out. Maybe it was an excuse to sit there, to just stare blankly out the window and watch the rain that come down without mercy. Maybe it was an opportunity to find a moment of peace, but she pulled roughly out of her dream state by the sound of a woman’s voice, “You okay, hun?” 

Mabel glanced up curiously, gently tapping the pad of her index finger against her mug, before redirecting her eyes to the window once more, “As okay as I can be for now, I suppose.” It was odd to think of how sad and pathetic that sounded, how usually nothing could get her down, but stress and despair had wrung her dry. She didn’t have it in her to cry anymore, her body numb from the effects of the last few days.

“Didja want to order anything else? Your coffees probably gone cold.” The girl shook her head, her eyes still trained on the window. Finally, the waitress scurried off and Mabel felt a little better. Interaction just made her more tired. 

She sat there for another hour, discarding her mug onto the table and instead drawing her legs up onto the chair to hug her knees, her forehead pressed against the glass as her body leaned against it. Her body was begging for sleep, but she knew she couldn’t give in, not now and not here. Maybe she should go. Another ten minutes passed before she finally worked up the courage to drop her legs back to the ground to stand, however she stopped at the sound of another voice in the shop. 

She hadn’t even heard anyone enter, the small bell not alerting anyone, “Vanilla, double double, with a side of those little donut things.” The man motioned towards something, but Mabel didn’t catch it, her eyes to focused on the person instead. He just couldn’t let her have a moment to breathe, could he?

She didn’t hesitate in her steps until she stopped about two feet behind where he sat at the counter, her face obviously showing her displeasure, “Is it too much to ask to be able to do anything without turning around and seeing you there?”

She couldn’t see his face, but she knew he was grin, looking down at the paper in front of him, “Technically, I’ve been in front of you the whole time.” The waitress who’d earlier been talking with Mabel sat the coffee down in front of Bill before going to retrieve the donuts, “Why don’t you have a seat, Shooting Star?” 

“You’re joking, right?” She scoffed, but as he turned, it was obvious that if she didn’t oblige, bad things would happen. She rolled her eyes and let out an angry breath, before moving to take a seat on the stool beside his. She crossed her legs and rested her elbows against the counter, fingers rubbing at her eyes before dropping, “What do you want, Bill? I want to go home and sleep.”

“Home? You mean the hospital. Man, you’ve gotten boring.” He took a sip of his drink, before setting it down, hand still wrapped around it, “Look, I just thought you could use some compa-“

“Is that everything for you, sir?” the waitresses inquired as she sat the plate of donuts down before leaning against the counter, looking between the two. The demon shot her dangerous look, obviously not enjoying being interrupted before he motioned for her to go away. She examined Mabel carefully before sighing and walking off towards the kitchen.

“Anyways, as I was saying… company! Everyone needs someone to talk to, so why don’t you break a vent to your ole pal Bill Cipher?” Finally, after what seemed like years, she laughed. She broke into hysterical fit of giggles, hand moving to pinch the bridge of her nose before she fixed herself up, still grinning as she looked over at Bill, who seemed utterly confused. 

“Oh, you were serious? Well….” She slid off the stool the stand next to him, face dropping as she leaned in ever so slightly before whispering: “In that case, I want you to that I would sooner take a knife to my stomach and remove my intestines before ever talking to you as if you were my ‘pal’.”

He turned his head to get a better look at her face, which was inches from his, a smirk forming on his lips as he watched her serious expression, “How dark you’ve gotten. I’m almost pleased.” 

They stared at each other for a long moment before she shoved him roughly and made her way to the door, throwing it open and stepping outside. She wanted to scream, but she held everything in as she made her way back to the hospital on foot, knowing the demon wouldn’t bother to chase after her. 

After she was a suitable distance away, she inhaled sharply, eyes closing for a brief moment as she processed what had happened. He’d only been there to get a rise out of her, to make her realize that no matter where she went, she wasn’t safe or free of him. She was trapped in Gravity Falls, as her brother was trapped in his mind. 

She stopped for a moment to just breath, to understand the emotions that were sweeping around inside her. Her eyes pinched shut and just stood there, waiting. For what, She couldn’t say. The wind was sharp against her skin as she waited in the chill, almost thankful for the sensation, to be able to feel the sting… Which finally made her realize something. Her body wasn’t numb anymore. She had been so ready to just give up then and there, but now there was something inside her that knew that she had to go on, that she had to win. 

There was something in her that felt alive again, a fire. There was a desire to live and fight, and she knew that even in the end, if everything crumbled down around her, she had hope. She would fight for her brother, and she would beat the demon. Her eyes snapped opened at her realization and before she could stop herself, she was running towards the hospital. She could play the demons games, but the world would fade into nothing before she let him break her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been super busy with my work and with moving, however after next week, I should be able to get onto a regular schedule! Enjoy!


	5. Unreality

Gently, her fingers brushed his forehead, sweeping his hair out of his face as a small sigh left her lips. He was pale, looking and feeling like he’d stayed out in the cold all winter. She blinked a few times, examining the bruises and scrapes that covered his face and neck, mentally flinching at each. She shouldn’t have touched his journal, this would have never had happened. He wouldn’t be here…. That damn journal. The journal. Just the thought of it made her feel ill, her head turning to the side to look over at it. It was sitting on the little table at the end of his bed. Stan must have brought it over at some point, or maybe she had. She didn’t even remember anymore. She sniffled once before moving her arm to rub her nose along her sleeve, taking a step away from the hospital bed and taking another few towards the journals location.

She traced her finger along the six-fingered hand, trying to calm herself down further. She wanted to burn it, to watch it fade into nothing, but she couldn’t hurt her brother anymore. Even though it came in between the two, it was because she messed with it in the first place. It wasn’t the journal, it was her. She was the one always wandering off and leaving her brother alone, he’d drop everything for her, but all she’d do is make fun of him. Why had she even touched it again? The reason was gone, she couldn’t even find enough energy to try and remember. It was a blur, just like everything seemed to be right now, but she knew, she had to see through it. She had to get her brother back; she had to fight the demon. Slowly, she lifted the book and held it her chest, a few more sniffles sneaking out before she finally let out a small cry. She’d made a promise to be strong, but it was so difficult to be strong all the time. 

A few hours passed before finally she put the journal on the bed next to Dipper and wandered into the bathroom, washing her face with cold water. She couldn’t help but look up at the mirror, looking at the person she’d become. It was so easy to think back to when life was all just glitter and stickers, where she was constantly smiling and laughing. She had grown so much in the last few years, and even more in the last few days. She poked at the bags under her eyes before straightening up, pulling the elastic from her wrist and tying her hair up into a ponytail. Even through all the growing, she was still Mabel. She knew that much, that she could fix this and set things normal again. She had to, for Dipper. But, how? 

She thought back to last night, when Bill had mentioned keeping her company. How he wanted her to vent. Maybe she could use that? Maybe make him believe he had beaten her. It was risky, but by this point, there was little that wasn’t. She doubted he’d fall for it, especially after how she’d responded. He was all about games—

“Mabel, maybe you should go back to the shack. Shower, get some rest.” She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of Grunkle Stans voice, wiping around to catch him in the door way, “Geez, sorry, Kid. Didn’t mean to scare ‘ya.”

“What? No… No, it’s fine, I was…. Thinking is all.” She was about to run her hand through her hair before her fingers caught on the elastic, her hand falling back to her side as she looked between Dipper and Stan, biting her lip before nodding, “Yeah, uhm… I think will, actually.” She rubbed her eyes before walking towards the door, “Look after him, don’t let him get cold or anything, okay?” She had stopped just outside the door to look back at the hospital bed, hesitation building up before she forced herself to go, just catching Stan say: “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The wind was retched, but she wasn’t surprise, in fact, she was almost pleased. She’d associated with how she’d felt last night after leaving the demon, a feeling of power. The promise she made to herself stood out clearly in the cold, but wasn’t forgotten as she let herself in the home of the three. 

Nothing had been tended to, not that it was ever really clean to begin with. Except, what grossness was there before was amplified by 800%. She scrunched up her nose a bit before shaking it off and making her way through the house, climbing up the steps and headed for the attic. It felt like it had been years since she’d been there, both the twins’ beds made up and all clean, one of her latest sweater projects sitting at the edge of her comforter. She smiled a little to herself, feet tapping against the old wood as she made her way over to it, her fingers gently brushing the smooth fabric. 

Sweet memories filled her mind: Heavy breathing as she shot through the forest, chasing after her brother in a game of tag. She tripped over a few branches and large patches of leaves, but she was determined to get him. She let out a shrill laugh as she closed in, taking the risk and jumping for him. Her arms wrapped around him and they fell to the ground, dirt and leaves covering them, but they didn’t mind, both lost in a giggle fit. 

Why did she keep doing this? She’d already promised herself that she’d get him back, but here she was, lost in the past once more. Maybe that was okay, though. It kept her reason fresh in her mind, not that it would fade to anything less. Maybe it was just that she wanted to play pretend, or make Bill pity her. He wouldn’t. She stepped away from her bed and went on about grabbing some fresh clothes before headed to the bathroom. 

Steam nearly instantly filled the bathroom as she turned on the tap before stepping in after dis-robing, the water aching warm against her skin, but it felt nice to tend to herself. She combed her fingers through her messy locks before shampooing and conditioning. She hardly even realized how long she’d been in the shower before she finally emerged and checked her phone to see it had been almost an hour and a half, not that she was bothered. 

She pulled on her clothes and went about drying her hair before deciding that the shack needed some cleaning. She wasn’t sleeping there, but it wasn’t good for Stan to be living in this filth. Helping others usually helped her keep her sanity, even when she didn’t think she could even take care of others. Maybe her sort of medicine was kindness. She could almost laugh, but nothing seemed truer. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Surprisingly enough, it didn’t take all that long to fix up the shack. Tops, three hours, but at first sight, you’d think it would take her all night to get it done. She smiled at the work she’d done before plopping down on the couch and curling up, flicking on the television. It wasn’t surprising that she faded off to la la land, feeling content for the first time within a week. It was pleasant to feel, even if that feeling was pain. 

 

Tap, tap, tap. The demon sat within his realm, clicking his cane to the ground every few moments, thinking, watching. She was so odd, the fact that she was smiling made him growl. He’d tried so hard to break the damn thing, but of course, she found light of it. For Gods sake, he made her kill some imaginary person. That must have been enough to scar her! 

He stood, throwing his cane angrily to the wall before walking off, his footsteps making an unpleasant sound as they bounced off the walls around him. With a snap, a door was in front of him and he passed through it without question, shuffling around before he finally found what he was looking for. A warn book with no title, damaged and practically full of non-sense, except to the very clever, and of course, Bill Cipher was the king of such. 

He flipped open the pages and scrolled through before smirking to himself, finger stopping at the line: ‘euhdn wkh plqg, wulfn wkh vrx’ it read.

 

Mabel woke with a gasp, hands instantly going to rub at her eyes before she examined the space around her. She was at the hospital once more. Confusion swept through her before she simply accepted it, figuring that Grunkle Stan must have brought her. She smiled, the sweet old man. She climbed out of her self made pillow fort and waddled over to her brother, pulling over the chair and sitting next to him. 

The room felt light, like there was good energy present. Another reason to smile, they seemed to be all over the place right now. Dipper still lay the same, though, nothing in the slightest altered about him, except the bruises seemed to be faded faster. She leaned over and grabbed a hold of his hand, pressing her forehead to his knuckles before pulling away to look at him, “You know, Dipper, I really miss you. I wonder if you can hear me in there…” She leaned forward once more but instead teasingly pretended to knock against his head, as if he were a door, “Can you? Give me a sign, I don’t know. Twin telepathy or something…” She fell back against her seat with a sigh, his hand still within her own. She closed her eyes, before they snapped open at the feeling of his hand tightening around her own, “Dipper! Dipper?” She jumped up from her seat, beginning to shake him, “Dipper, please! Nurse! Someone!” she yelled out, only to be met with silence, but she hardly noticed as she turned all her attention back to her brother, who once more tightened his grip. 

She was shaking unbelievably hard, her breathing even harder as she waited in anticipation, “Please, please, please.” She whispered, only to be met with those big old brown eyes. She cried out as she went in for a hug, tears beginning their journey along her cheeks, “Dipper, omigod, Dipper! You’re okay!” She pulled away. It was obvious he was confused by the way he stared at her, blinking rapidly before his gaze wandered off, “Ar—Are you, thirsty? How ‘bout hungry? What do you want? NURSE!”

“M-Mabel.” He finally gave a try on words before slowly he managed to smile, hiccupping, “Mabel.”

“Hi, hi!” She was crying so hard it was nearly impossible to understand what she was saying, but that wasn’t going to stop her, “You’re okay, you’re okay. I’m so sorry, Dipper, for taking your journal, for everything I’m so sorry. I missed you so so so much.” 

He nodded, “I-It’s okay, please… pl… stop crying, it’s ok… ay.” 

“No, no, it’s not, it’s better than that! It’s so much better! I-I didn’t think I’d see you ever again, I didn’t think Bill would ever let you leave! God, that bastard, I promise I’ll never let him get close to you agai—“ She stopped when she noticed his expression contorted into something of a grimace. Had he not known Bill was behind all this? Had he forgotten?

“Mabel, Bill… He-He didn’t.”

“Didn’t? Didn’t what Dipper, what’s wrong?” 

“Let me leave.” 

Her face completely dropped, her tears running dry as she looked at him, a vile feeling rising within the pit of her stomach, “Dipper… What do you mean?” Suddenly, it all went black and all Mabel saw was blood as she was shoved roughly from the bed. She yelped out before turning from her position on the ground to look up at the wound in her brother’s neck, as it seeped crimson, “DIPPER!” She screamed out as she lunged, tripping over herself, although she did manage to get close enough to him to wrap her fingers around his throat in an attempt to make the blood stop, “Bill! Bill, please! Stop! Enough please!” She cried out before everything faded away to nothingness and she was left in the dark again, although still covered in blood. She was so confused, she buried her face in her bloody hands as couldn’t conceal her fear, “Why? Why do you have to torture us? Wh…y?” She whispered into her palms, resting on her knees before she fell to her side, curled up in a fetal position. 

She was content to never move again, but she was forced to as a set of hands grabbed her and lifted her onto their owners lap, coming around her again in a weak half hug, “Because I’m made of cruelty and dead dreams.” He whispered into her ear, nuzzling his forehead against the side of her a face, filching away as a look of dread painted her features. 

“You’re sick.”

“Of course I am, don’t need some little brat spelling it out, you know. You could have just played along, done as I said, but you just had to act like Pine Tree and try to run the show. Well, how unfortunate for you, Star.” He replied dryly before hoisting her up into his arms with ease, walking easily through the darkness, however Mabel was not as fond of their positions as Bill seemed to be. Just as something altered in front of them, she lifted her arm and bashed her elbow into the demons jaw. 

She fell and landed against the ground, a loud cry escaping her as pain filled her wrist. She quickly applied pleasure with her other hand before struggling to get on her own two feet, dashing into the unknown, not sparing the demon a glance while she went on with her escape. 

It seemed easy enough to flee, however things in the world of darkness and dreams were hardly ever that; easy. Finally, after what seemed like years off running, she did glance back over her shoulder only to see more darkness, the demon gone out of sight. Did she get away or did he leave? For all she knew, she’d been running in the exact same spot, running in circles, maybe she wasn’t even actually moving. 

Quickly, she turned her attention to the emptiness in front of her, only for her face to meet with the ground as she tripped over thin air. Her and her “clumsiness” just couldn’t catch a break today. Her palms brushed the ground before hoisting her up so she could examine what had happened, perhaps where she was, or where Bill was. 

She blinked rapidly for a moment as her eyes hastily tried to adapt to the new found light that surrounded her. The first thing she noticed was the black marble that she had crushed her face against; the next was the new room itself. It was really big, however there was plenty of dead space. A large fireplace roared with life against the center of the wall to the right, three sofas, each black with red throw blankets and lace throw pillows, making a square like shape in front. A sleek black coffee table held journals, books upon books which could hardly even all fit sat within the confines of the black seats. There was a chess table, large bookcases, a desk and chair, paintings filled the walls and there was quite a bit of art pieces set around. Red, black and gold were the only colors within the walls, the wall paper itself caring a red tint with gold designs carved throughout, even the art pieces which obviously should have had different colours, were washed with black and gold. It was all rather eerie, however nothing in particular really caught her eye besides the curtains, which were closed. Curiosity got the best of her as she slowly made her way towards the veils, drawing them back slowly to reveal a mirror, although besides her frame, there was only black, until she noticed the other figure lingering behind. 

She let out a gasp as she dropped the curtains; turning around just as the demon closed in on her, “Peculiar, isn’t it? Nothing short of a magic trick, I’d say.”

“What? The mirror? All that’s there is darkness?”

“No, that’s all you cared to notice, but should you look closer, you can see all. Well, maybe. There is a trick to it, but I’d be pretty fucking idiotic to let you in on the secret. Now, how about the room?” 

“What about it?” She muttered, arms crossing over her chest as she tried to conceal her shaking, but she knew the demon could see right through her, noting the grin he cracked.

“Do you like it?” 

“Why does it matter if I do?” She shrugged, and his smile only grew.

“Because, it was made for you.” He carried on, glancing towards the fireplace with wide eyes until he was forced to look back towards the girl, who let out a weak laugh.

“For me? Why? What's the point?” She waved her arms erratically, growing more and more restless as she drew closer to knowing what was going on, her teeth gently clamping onto the inside of her cheek, however at his next words, her teeth released as she felt herself pale, eyes growing wide.

“Because, you don’t belong to reality anymore. You belong to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy, oh boy, did this take forever to get up! I moved, I wrote it, I lost motivation to write it, decided to re-write it, lost more motivation, then finished it and here we are now! Super sorry it took so long! Also, beware, Bill's got some BIG things planned, as he usually does, so strap in, kiddies, we're going on a bumpy ride! I'm probably going to be posting every Sunday from this point on, so get ready!


	6. The Fun's Only Starting, Dear

Had that been a scream? She couldn’t tell. Maybe it had been her own, but once again, it wasn’t clear. Everything was merging together, leaving her in a blind, hazy mess. Where was she again? Stumbling down a darkened hall, although where that hall belonged, she had no clue. He was following her, though, that much she knew, and another fact lingered right behind; He wasn’t far. This was his reality; he contorted it to fit his preference. She didn’t know where, but he was there, lurking, ready to spring free of the darkness. 

Her breathing was rapid; her heart pounding without mercy as she dragged herself on, hoping, praying for a miracle, but she knew it would never come. She was his, and knowing that, the closes she’d get to a miracle would be death. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

“Yours?” A beat passed before disgust passed along her features, “Yours?! What about our deal, you cheating, assh—“ She stopped midsentence, as if he’d ripped her tongue from her throat, her face paling.

“Language.” What had he done? She couldn’t talk. “I haven’t broken any deal, Ms. Pines. Yes, I may have altered it ever so slightly, however the point still stands. You’re mine, and you’ll reside here. I’ve seen those pesky little thoughts of yours, and I think we both know that here, you’ll do no damage. I have plans for our beloved little gravity falls, and unfortunately for you, I can’t have you trying to destroy me while I’m exhibiting them. Got it, kid?” She glared at him, waiting a few moments before mouthing a very foul mouthed ‘fuck you’. How stupid was he? Thinking she’d just let him destroy her life, her family’s life, everyone in gravity falls life… She wished she could say it to him, to make him realize she’d never stop fighting, even when trapped in his own personal hell. 

She saw his annoyance, however he didn’t give up. He stepped forward, his shoes clicking against the ground, his hand shooting out and grabbing her chin, pulling her gaze abruptly to his, “Oh, my dear Mabel, surely you aren’t that stupid to try and deny me what I want, when you know just how easily I can take it. I took you without your permission, what makes you think I won’t take your town and crush it between my fingers? Although perhaps, I’ll just make it more slow, more painful.” He leaned in and she thought for a small moment he was going to kiss her when instead he moved to whisper in her ear, “Perhaps I’ll take every single person you love and make them suffer. And, after I’ve finished ruining everything they are, I’ll come back and finish my business with you. Oh, but I wont kill you, of course. I’ll spare your life. I won’t even hurt you. No, I’ll keep you near, I’ll put little thoughts in your mind, feelings, until you become disgusted with just how much you want me, how much you want to stay here with me and watch the world burn.”

She shoved him back with so much force she fell backwards, landing on her back with a hiss. He simply smirked, arms crossing over his chest, “Oh, you didn’t like that? Wouldn’t it be lovely to have your voice back so you can tell me just how much you despise me, how much your want me to burn? Give me your word you’ll quit with trying to stop me, and you can have it.” She remained still; just staring at him with as much hate a she could muster, nearly shaking with the splitting rage and sudden fear. Never give in. Never give up. 

Bill was either about to burst with anger or start laughing, she could never tell, never read him the way he could her, but nothing happened, he simply stared at her, awaiting her submission before pressing at her pressure point: “Well, perhaps Pine tree could convince you.” Her anger faded in a instant as she melted into a puddle, her brothers name trying its best to escape passed her lips, but she was once again met with the realization that he tongue was useless, that this once again a game. Would he let her see him finally? She just needed to see him. “Your word, Ms. Pines.” He spoke as if he’d listened to her thoughts, making her jump ever so slightly. She could lie, pretend that she would, but secretly work behind his back, although she knew it would never work. He was all seeing, especially here, and unfortunately, Dipper was here, too far to protect, to close to hope. Finally, she nodded. 

“Glad to see how agreeable you are today, Mabel. I do have to say, I like the obedience in you.” 

“D… Dipper.” She tested the word out, before everything she wanted to say tumbled out without hesitation, “Asshole. Let me see my brother! And, I swear to God, you mute me again, I will end you, you stupid triangle!” 

“My, my…” She blinked and suddenly he was in front of her, his hand rested around her throat, however he made no move to squeeze, his thumb gently brushing her skin there, “What did I just say about obedience? You’ve shown me no respect, why should I show you any?”

She wanted to smack him, wanted to rip his eyes from his skull, but she simply waited, not desiring the conversation any longer, “I’m sure your brother must be eager to see you as well, perhaps it would be good for you to see him. To see what’s still at risk if you piss me off.” Ever so slightly she felt his grip tighten, as if his hand had spasmed, but she understood the warning it bared. As long as she could see Dipper, he could have whatever he wanted. 

Everything after was a blur as he moved his hand from her and she collapsed, falling hard against the floor. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

“Mabel, it’s not very nice to be napping while company’s on the way.” Bill’s voice, that annoying shriek of laughter following it. He was snapping in her face, which irked her more so. Where was she? It was very bright and there was something around her wrist. She coughed before being able to let her eyes adjust, her gaze settling on the demon, dressed up and down in yellow and black, his gloved hand still hovering over her face, however the snapping had stopped. She made a move to bite him, but he pulled back with another laugh, although it was hardly as loud. She struggled, her feet barely brushing the ground as the rope around her wrist pulled painfully at her skin. She was suspended from the ceiling, dangling around like a stupid puppet. She wanted to scream, however it was as if Bill sensed the distress in her, his gloved hand moving to cover her mouth as his lips found her ear, “You’ll wake your brother.” He muttered, dryly, his opposite hand moving to circle around her waist, forcing a shiver down along her spine. 

She went in to bite him again however he swept his hand away and as if by magic, cut the rope, her body falling roughly against his, “Get away from me.” She hissed, as she started kicking at him, however, he didn’t move, not even fazed by her movements. “Get. Away.” Finally, she managed to knee him in the lower abdomen, the demon falling back and allowing her to collide against the stone floor. It hurt, but she was done showing pain. He’d mentioned Dipper, but no one else was here? 

“Where is he?” She muttered against the ground, hands pressing painfully against the stone as she lifted herself up until she was standing, “You said you’d…”

“Mabel?” She whipped around, her knees buckling as she saw the figure in the doorway, her heart hitting her rib cage like a hammer, “Mabel?” He spoke again, taking a small step inside the door. She wanted to cry, to run over and hug him, but she remembered last time she saw him, the trick that Bill had played. Perhaps this was another? 

“Dipper? You’re… hurt.” He was limping, using the wall as leverage as he made his way further into the room, manoeuvring his way around the darkness, “What did he do to you?” She gave in, rushing to his side, arm wrapping around his back as she helped him to the only thing inside the ‘cell’, a small cot, which didn’t even have a blanket. 

“Bill… Where is he? Did h… he bring you here?” She glanced around to the spot he’d been only to be met with darkness, her breath hitching, “Did he… do anything to you? He told me he did…” Her attention turned back to him, her body taken over by shivers. 

“I don’t know, he brought me here, tied me up, but he was… just here. Bastard must of run off, he’s watching though. I can feel it.” She forced Dipper to lie down, even though he fought it, her arms wrapping around him tightly. She could feel the pain he’d been through, the tension and anger wrapped under his skin, but he didn’t feel afraid. “He’s played with my head, but I have a feeling he’s got bigger plans. He told me that he’s keeping us here to keep us away from Gravity Falls, that he’s got some big plans and that we could ruin it all. Has he told you anything about that?”

She felt him nodded, her eyes closing tightly, “He’s going to kill everyone, he told me how, too. He’s going to kill Stan, by… making him wait. He’s going to sit there and starve. And, Soos, he’s going to—“

“Stop. Please, stop. That’s not going to happen, I’m going to stop him. I don’t know how, but I’m going to. “ She could feel Bills gaze, knowing he heard her. She could feel the anger rise around them, and then suddenly, it fell away, leaving her with nothing but the cold, “He’s not going to let me see you again. I promised to not to mess with his plans to let me see you.” She sat up, staring down at him with a sniffle, “I love you, Dipper. I promise I’m going to stop Bill and I’m going to get our lives back, I promise. I love you. Please, don’t forget that, no matter how dark…” But, Dipper had fallen asleep. 

She sniffled once more before laying back down, snuggling against her twin before shutting her eyes. She knew that when she woke up, Bill would be there, inflicting hell, but for this moment, she was content in thinking everything would be okay. Just for this moment, everything was okay. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

She didn’t dream, it was simply darkness, until horrors starting surrounding her. She was screaming, and crying, and running, until she fell, her hands and knees bloodied up with scratches from the stone. Bill chased her until he stood over her, staring down at her with his evil smirk. His hand snaked out as he kneed besides her, nearly straddling her, brushing his fingertips against her cheek, “You know, Mabel. I’ve always had a fondness for you, ever since that stupid little sock opera of yours.”

“Are you falling in love with me, Bill? Because, I’m not flattered.” She laughed up at him, however he simply smiled back, leaning in further. 

“You should be flattered, love is such a gift, especially since it could save you. I could offer you such a gift, one where you and your brother are protected, where you never have a fear or worry again. Be mine, and we can both stand over the world, be it’s new creators.” She stared at him in awe, before slowly she moved her hand to gently brush against his cheek, drawing him closer until his lips were mere inches from her own. 

“Bill.” She whispered, eyes fluttering from his eyes to his lips, and then back up to his lips, “Is that how you really feel?” He nodded, ever so slightly, his eyes focused on hers, “Do you want to know how I really feel?” He nodded once more, and she drew him closer, her lips brushing his own as her eyes faded to a close, “I’d rather burn with the world.” With a hard shove, she sent him back, rolling out of his reach before taking off in a sprint down hell knows where. It was dark, and she could feel it getting even more so. He screamed her name, but she didn’t dare look back. She needed an escape, away to evade his hell, but it never came. Something grabbed her, although it had no strength behind it, and then something brushed her foot, something grabbed at her hair, and then it tugged at her clothes. “Mabel! Mabel, please… help me, please. He’s…. HURTING ME.” She screamed, but she didn’t stop. It wasn’t Dipper, it was a dream, this was all a dream, and he was in her head, messing with her. She was crying and screaming, her hand clamped tightly over her mouth, but it did nothing to stop the sounds that wailed from her. Hell, she was in hell. Her own personal hell. Finally, it stopped, a set of strong arms wrapping around her torso and pulling her back into the darkness that consumed all, her hand moving from her mouth as she flung about, “Bill, please!” She screamed and then she was thrown, everything around her fading to nothing. 

And, then everything came back to her. She woke up, tears streaming down her face, her hair a completely mess and absolutely everywhere, but she wasn’t in hell. She was in a large bed, with golden sheets and a red velvet blanket, silken pillows. This had to be Bills room, something he’d simply dreamt up in that obnoxious head of his. Golden walls, stone flooring, various furniture thrown about with a black wood, red cloth and more yellow. It was an eyesore, that was for sure, but it was better than some ice-cold dungeon filled with something from her worst nightmares. She made a move to stand, but she couldn’t move, her legs aching terribly and her hands pinned to her sides. Was this magic? Of course it was magic. It was never NOT magic, stupid girl. 

She thought to call out to him, but she didn’t desire his presence, or his help. But, maybe that’s what he wanted. He’d let her sit her a life time until she finally caved and called out to him, but she never would, but if she didn’t, then her promise was already broken. Perhaps it would be better to give in and pretend to want to spend her life with the demon. Then at least she’d earn some trust that she could eventually burn. With a sigh, she gave in, “Bill.” It wasn’t more than a whispered, but he strode in as if she’d yelled.

“Good morning, sunshine.” He smirked, strolling over to the bed and plopping down beside her, his eyes boring into her own, “Sleep well?”

“I want to know what the hell’s going on inside that head of yours.” She muttered, tiredly, as if she’d finally given up, “Please, just explain to me why you’re doing this, why you want to destroy Gravity Falls and kill everyone.”

He scooted closer, laying on his side and grinning from ear to ear, “My mind is so far from understanding, and it would take millions and millions of years just to understand why I like the colour yellow so much. But, you want to know, I’ll tell you, however I want something from you.” 

She shivered, letting out a deep breath before muttering the fatal words: “And, what would that be?” She regretted them instantly. 

“I want that kiss you denied me of.” She nearly choked on the vomit that wanted so badly to come up, her need to turn away rising by the second, but she couldn’t, his stupid magic was holding her tightly in the same position. 

“You don’t love me, Bill. You’re delusional.” She spat, although she tried to repress the hatred in her words. She was shaking with fear, with anger, with curiosity. Why did he want to kiss her? Where had that come from? She felt disgusted, but she wanted to know. 

“You don’t get to tell me I’m delusional, princess.” He muttered, sitting up right before crawling over towards her, imitating a cat as he stopped just besides her, staring down at her, although this time, unlike the dream, he wasn’t smiling. He was just staring at her, “Those are my terms. Give me a kiss, and I’ll tell you everything you desire to know so much.”

Minutes went by before she finally spoke, feeling like she’d been holding her breath this entire time, “I’ll kiss you, and however I don’t want you magic near me. Got it?” He sighed, super dramatically before snapping, the invisible restraints becoming nothing more than a distant memory, however before she could attempt to run, his lips were on her, his hand very gently brushing her neck. She squeaked, eyes wide as surprise took her, but after she’d finally calmed herself down enough to the point where she wasn’t shaking anymore, she kissed him back. It was disgusting and vile, but he was very soft, her fingers gently touching his cheek in turn, her other hand gently wrapping itself around the back of his neck. She could feel him hum gently, his opposite hand bunching in the blanket at her side. She had meant to break away long ago, but he melted her mind, hypnotising her. Was she enjoying this? She wanted to scream, of course she wasn’t! Of course… not. Before she could pull away, he already had, moving so his back was facing her. What just happened? She was breathing really hard, her hand moving to rub her lips of his saliva. Gross. She let a few beats pass, before speaking up, “Start talking, lover boy.”

He snorted, turning to glance at from over his shoulder, “Are we lovers now?”

“Generally lovers aren’t one sided, but whatever floats your boat, as long as you get talking. I want something else to think about besides you chapped lips.” She pulled her knees to her chest, arms wrapped tightly around them as he shifted to face her, eyeing her carefully. She knew instantly he was thinking about putting the magic back. 

“My lips aren’t chapped.”

“Talk!”

“I am talking.”

Anger bubbled, the bastard. “Bill, please just tell me what I want to know. I kissed you, now please. Please, please, please just tell me.” She closed her eyes, her hands wrapped in fists. 

“I was casted from the demon world about eight million years ago because of a woman named Morgana. She tricked me into stealing one of the demons most prized possession, some stupid cup that cared magic of each realm. I was throw out and left to the human world, until I created my own; the dreamscape. Your dear and beloved Gravity Falls is the entrance way back into that hell, and by destroying it, It will destroy the path way from here to there, and there to here. Their stupid world is connected to this stupid world, and if I break that connection, it’ll crush their world in a million little bits, however Gravity Falls will die, too, along with all it’s lovely little citizens. Got it, kid? Story times over.” He moved to the end of the bed, and stood, stretching his arms out before his cane popped into existence. 

This was all about revenge? He was going to kill everyone over a dispute with his people? “Bill, no, please, you ca—“ And, then it was gone, her voice ripped from her once again. He turned, a dangerous look in his eyes. 

“I can do whatever I want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, my babies! Here's the long awaited chapter. I have the next few plotted out, and I must say I'm impressed with myself, but I guess we'll see if I ever put them up because I'm lazy, haha. It's gonna be interesting, and perhaps, because I'm an evil shithead, it may even end with a cliffhanger? Oooh. Anyway, I'll try to exercise my talents and get the next chapter up before the end of the month! Also, another little note, I barely did any re-reading for this because I was up until five in the morning writing it, so I'll do more editing tomorrow.


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